In addition to the usual reviews and comments you would find on a horror movie blog, this is also a document of the wonderfully vast horror movie section of the video store I worked at in my youth.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Growing Up Is Hard To Do.

After a sizable break, I was finally
able to dig into the second episode of The Walking Dead game's
sophomore season entitled A House Divided.

I was happy that in this episode
Clementine wasn't in as much direct danger, as I needed a breather after
the intensity of All That Remains. This episode dealt more with
relationships and inter-group politics, of which Clementine often had
to act as mediator. In fact, it was during A House Divided that I
realized just how much she has grown over the course of this series. Her dialogue tree options are nothing like they once were. Clementine
now challenges and deflects in a manner far beyond
her years. She has become an active member of the group, rather than
a liability and is no longer the timid little girl Lee rescued from her tree house a lifetime ago.

Speaking of the group politics, I am
continually impressed with how Telltale manages to keep the dynamics
fresh. The story is constantly serving up interesting dilemmas and
rarely gives you an easy choice. Negotiating the ensuing situations
is tricky business, especially considering you have no control over
the actions of the other characters. And it doesn't help that certain
individuals seem predisposed to making the worst decisions possible.
It's then always up to you to put out the fires. It's a lot to ask of
an eleven-year-old, wouldn't you say?

There were some nice surprises this
episode, as well. When the new villain Carver, first mentioned in the previous episode, showed
up, I recognized the gravelly voice of Michael Madsen almost
immediately. The first meeting between him and Clementine was
fantastic and rivalled Hollywood production in its pot
boiling intensity. It was also good to see the return of a character
that was thought long devoured. Of course, the jubilation was short
lived because it then brought up instant loyalty issues between
comrades, old and new.

Clementine meets Carver (Michael Madsen)

The last set piece of the episode was,
again, top notch. I, unfortunately, fucked things up good during my
playthrough though. However, now knowing how the mechanics work, I'm sure I
would've ended up in the same spot regardless, it just may have been
less my fault.

Anyway, I'm even more excited to see where things go
from here. Keep up the great work, Telltale!